Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis

Maddy summaryThe RAMP Act amends the Social Security Act to require group health plans (like employer-sponsored insurance) to pay first for medical expenses when Medicare is secondary. This directly affects group health plans and individuals with both Medicare coverage and a group health plan. The bill creates a private right for individuals to sue a group health plan if it fails to make primary payments or provide appropriate reimbursement to Medicare. This change aims to improve payment coordination and reduce disputes between insurers and Medicare.

Coastal Broadband Deployment Act This bill excludes projects to deploy or modify certain transmitting devices, towers, antennas, or other communications facilities from specified environmental and historic preservation reviews if the project is carried out entirely within a floodplain (the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters). In particular, it specifies such projects are not considered major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or undertakings under the National Historic Preservation Act. This excludes the projects from relevant reviews required under those acts.

Connecting Communities Post Disasters Act of 2023 This bill excludes from specified environmental and historic preservation reviews certain projects to replace or improve communications facilities following a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency. In particular, it specifies such projects are not considered major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or undertakings under the National Historic Preservation Act. This excludes the projects from relevant reviews that are required under those acts. The projects must be carried out (1) within an area for which the President has declared a major disaster or an emergency, and (2) not later than five years after the date on which the President made the declaration.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 3458 (Reinstate Our Troops Act), provides relief to military service members who were involuntarily separated solely for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations. It requires military leaders to reinstate eligible service members to their previous rank within 30 days of their request (made within one year of the law's passage), return any bonuses they repaid due to separation, and change their discharge status to "honorable" if they don't seek reinstatement. It also mandates expunging records of the vaccination refusal from their service files. The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to report on implementation to Congress within 60 days.

Maddy summaryHR 3537 authorizes the minting of commemorative coins to mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Foreign Service, established by the 1924 Rogers Act. The bill specifies three coin types ($5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad) with limited mintage (50,000 gold, 400,000 silver, 750,000 half-dollars) to be issued in 2025, featuring designs honoring diplomatic history. A surcharge on each coin sale ($35 for gold, $10 for silver, $5 for half-dollars) will fund the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) to support its oral history program and diplomatic preservation efforts. The coins will be legal tender, sold at cost-plus-surcharge, with all revenue directed to ADST per the bill's provisions.

Study To Observe and Prevent (STOP) Human Trafficking Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Justice, in coordination with the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, to study and report on the prevalence and instances of human trafficking at adult entertainment clubs in the United States.

Maddy summaryThe TREAT PTSD Act (HR 3023) requires the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense to make a nerve block procedure available as a treatment option for veterans and active-duty military members with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have chosen to receive it after being informed of risks and benefits. It mandates that the VA and Defense update their joint clinical guidelines for PTSD treatment within 180 days to include this procedure. The bill applies to veterans enrolled in VA care and service members enrolled in TRICARE who have a PTSD diagnosis and consent to the treatment. The policy changes take effect 180 days after the bill becomes law.

National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Program. The bill further directs DOJ to award a grant under the program to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for the expenses associated with community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs operated by the of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and National Law Enforcement Museum.

Maddy summaryThe FIGHT Act (HR 2742) amends the Animal Welfare Act to specifically target animal fighting events, such as cockfighting, by defining "rooster" as any male chicken over six months old and banning the live broadcasting (simulcasting) of such events. It prohibits using the postal service or interstate transport to move roosters for animal fighting purposes and adds civil enforcement tools allowing citizens to sue violators after a 60-day notice period. Fines up to $5,000 per violation may be imposed, and property used in animal fighting ventures can be seized. These changes strengthen enforcement against animal fighting by expanding legal remedies for the public and authorities.

This resolution supports the designation of Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. Tardive dyskinesia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary and uncontrolled movements of muscles in the face, torso, and extremities. It is caused by prolonged use of certain medications, including ones used to treat schizophrenia.